Seattle design firm kicks off 999Bottles Kickstarter campaign

Consider it a kind of milestone: the iPhone is so ubiquitous, it becomes an accessory for a water bottle.

That, in essence, is the idea behind 999Bottles, a project of Seattle-based tech product design firm Artefact. Artefact this week is launching a Kickstarter campaign to raise (a seemingly appropriate) $99,999 for 999Bottles. That money, the company says, will support bringing 5,000 stainless steel water bottles to market, each with three dials to track re-use, and an accompanying iPhone app to visualize the positive environmental impact.

Not just that, but Artefact notes, 999Bottles, “lets you compare and share your contribution with friends through social media channels.”

Originally just a concept, the company decided to move ahead with a crowd funding campaign after initial media response to the idea was positive. It anticipates the 24-ounce stainless steel bottles will sell for $29 — with a $49 Limited Edition available to its Kickstarter supporters.

Frank Catalano (@FrankCatalano) is an independent consultant to firms in education and consumer technology, a veteran industry analyst, and a professional speaker and author. His regular GeekWire columns take a practical nerd’s approach to tech.